Content
If the apples in the neighbor’s garden are larger and the trees themselves are more beautiful, then the owner needs to learn the basics of proper pruning apple trees. Garden trees should not grow uncontrollably: annually it is necessary to inspect the branches, inspect the shoots and remove everything unnecessary. The gardener must understand that an overly thickened crown draws juices from the tree; the plant simply does not have enough strength to form and ripen beautiful and fragrant fruits. Not all summer residents know how to properly prune an apple tree in autumn and spring, what pattern to use for pruning apple trees, and what tools to use for this.
This article will tell you when to prune apple trees: in autumn or spring, what is the best way to do it pruning young apple trees and how to rejuvenate old trees.
Why is it necessary to prune apple trees in the fall?
Some gardeners believe that pruning fruit trees is not at all necessary. At the same time, the owner expects high harvests every year and wants his garden to be healthy and beautiful.
Unfortunately this is not possible. In order for apple trees to bear fruit tirelessly and please the eye, they must be pruned regularly. Pruning goals are directly related to the age of the fruit tree, so they may vary.
Basically, apple tree branches are pruned in order to:
- form a crown of a correct and beautiful shape;
- strengthen young shoots;
- select fruit-bearing branches and increase their number every season;
- provide the crown with ventilation and access to sunlight;
- get rid of old or damaged branches in order to replace them with new shoots;
- prepare the apple tree for wintering, reducing the load on the root system and the entire plant as a whole.
When is the best time to prune an apple tree: in spring, summer or autumn?
In fact, garden apple trees are pruned throughout the year:
- in summer thin out the top of the tree to provide all fruits with sufficient light and protect the branches from fungal infections;
- trim the apple tree in the spring necessary in order to rejuvenate the plant, shape its crown, cut out frozen or rotten branches;
- while pruning apple trees in autumn branches broken by the wind or too heavy fruits, diseased or dried shoots are removed - the tree is preparing for wintering;
- some gardeners believe that it is possible to prune apple trees in December-January month, you just need to make sure that spring sap flow does not begin.
Deadlines apple tree trimmings the gardener determines it independently, but it is better to do this when the tree is without leaves and the juices are not moving in it. To decide when to prune apple trees in the fall, you should look at the tree itself: there should be no leaves left on it. The weather is also important: there should be no rain or frost outside.
How to prune an apple tree in autumn
There are many schemes for pruning fruit trees. Apple tree branches are pruned according to the same rules that must be followed when processing pear and cherry trees.
Standard autumn pruning is as follows:
- Thick, dry or broken branches are cut out.
- Find branches that grow too close and parallel to each other. Of these, the weaker or diseased shoot is selected and removed.
- It is necessary to cut branches located at an angle directed towards the trunk. Only those shoots whose growth is directed outward are left.
- Wounds resulting from autumn pruning should be disinfected and handle healing agent. This can be garden pitch, a solution of copper sulfate or oil paint based on drying oil (it is prohibited to use other dyes - they will burn the wood).
- You need to make a fire from the cut branches and burn them so as not to spread the infection throughout the garden.
How to prune apple trees in the fall: diagram
There are three main types of pruning apple trees:
- weak;
- average;
- strong.
Weak pruning They mainly target young trees that have not yet begun to bear fruit. Following this pattern, you need to trim the tips of new branches that have grown over the current year. Such shoots are shortened by about a quarter of the length.
Medium trim used for apple trees whose age ranges from 5 to 7 years. At this stage, they need the formation of a crown and an increase in fruit-bearing shoots. Shoots should be shortened by a third of their length.
Strong pruning scheme involves shortening some branches by half. Such drastic measures are necessary in case of severe thickening of the crown, for example, when the fruits do not have enough sunlight. Heavy pruning is carried out, usually in the summer.
Proper pruning of dry branches
Pruning dried apple tree branches deserves special attention. The most important thing in this matter is not to cut off the shoot too close to the trunk or to the mother branch. If the wound comes into contact with the main branch, it can cause a knot, the base of this dried part of the tree, to fall out. As a result, a hollow is formed, which will subsequently become a home for pests and a breeding ground for infections.
To prevent the death of the apple tree, it is necessary to cut out a dry branch, not reaching the place where the first bud is located. After this, trim the cut using a fine-toothed saw. The slope of the cut should be directed towards the branch being cut.
After the procedure, it is recommended to cover the cut with garden varnish; in this case, paint may not be enough.
How to prune young apple trees
Apple tree seedlings, like other fruit trees, have a weak bark system. Therefore, the gardener’s task is to reduce the load on the roots, and this can be done by shortening the shoots.
The branches of the seedlings are pruned immediately after planting. If the apple tree is planted in a temporary place, it is better to double its shoots - perform heavy pruning. Next year, such a tree should be transplanted to a permanent place; its root system will be ready for such stress.
When a seedling is planted immediately in a permanent place, its shoots are pruned more delicately. In this process, it is important to preserve as much foliage as possible and strengthen the tree's roots.
So, the first pruning of seedlings is performed as follows:
- Competitive branches that are parallel to each other or intersect at some point are cut into a ring. At the same time, they select the weakest shoot and file it down, trying not to leave a stump. A ring is a thickening or swelling that can be seen at the base of the shoots. If you cut directly along the ring, the apple tree will heal the wound faster and the new shoots will be stronger.
- Shorten the main branches by cutting them to a third of their length.
- If the crown of the apple tree resembles a pyramid, it is necessary to trim the shoots to the outer bud. This means that the shoots should be directed outward and not towards the tree trunk.
- An overly spreading crown can be regulated by pruning the inner bud. The length of the central shoot in this case should not exceed 15 cm.
- The lowest shoots should be weighted to align them and give them the correct position. To do this, hang small loads.
- You shouldn’t resort to pruning apple trees again; this is still too traumatic a procedure. Young and weak branches can be tied to stronger ones, thereby giving them the right direction. Sturdier branches can be bent down, pressing them to the ground and leveling them.
The crown of a young tree is formed according to the following rules:
- the central conductor should be located either vertically or with a slight deviation to the side;
- this shoot should not have competitors - parallel or nearby growing branches;
- the length of the main branches and their number should be uniform.
The first pruning of the seedling is very important, because at this time the shape of the crown is formed.
How to prune young, non-fruiting trees
While the apple tree is not bearing fruit, it is necessary to have time to form its crown so that the branches do not intersect and are evenly distributed relative to the trunk. A growing tree should be able to support the weight of about 100-150 kg of apples.
If you trim the shoots regularly and a little at a time, fruiting will occur sooner and will be more abundant. Rare but drastic pruning is harmful to plants.
The nuances of processing 2-5 year old apple trees are as follows:
- if the fruit branches are shifted towards the crown, they must be shortened and thinned out, otherwise breaks will appear;
- if the crown is too thick, there is no point in shortening the shoots - they need to be radically removed;
- when the tree has grown to 3-6 meters, it is necessary to leave it growing - pin the central conductor;
- If the apple tree does not bear fruit for a long time, it should not be touched - pruning can be done later.
How to prune fruiting apple trees
To avoid having to cut out thick old branches, apple trees should be pruned regularly. Wounds from cutting out large shoots will be larger, they are more difficult to heal and often become the cause of tree disease.
The main task of the gardener at the stage of active fruiting is to thin out the crown and block the strongly growing side shoots.
How to prune an old apple tree
Aged trees are not able to withstand heavy pruning, so their crown must be formed gradually, stretching this process over several seasons.
In doing so, they do the following:
- every season, one or two powerful, but diseased or non-fruiting branches are cut out;
- choose a central conductor or a strong lateral shoot that is not touched and form a new crown around it;
- sharp and broken forks are removed;
- diseased and damaged branches are cut into a ring;
- tops (growth on the trunk and side shoots) are also removed into a ring;
- remove old bark that has separated from the trunk.
Conclusion
If it is now clear, When can you prune apple trees? in the fall, there are still questions about the frequency of this event. Ideally, tree pruning is done as needed, for which the gardener must have sufficient experience. Beginners are advised to cultivate the garden every season, choosing light pruning and gentle patterns.
This video explains how to properly prune garden apple trees:
